Should all 1st out apparatus have a RIT pack?

Comment

Comment by Larry Glover on October 5, 2008 at 6:01pm

All the companies at work have the SCOTT RIT Pack (3 engines and 1 ladder) and all the rigs at my volunteer dept. have the SCOTT RIT Pack on them also. I think it is a good idea to equip all companies with some sort of RIT Pack or Spare Pack for RIT operations. It is better to have it than not too and need it. For RIT to work, you have to be proficient with the equipment that you use and have the knowledge of what it is capable of doing. Stay Safe and Keep on Training!

Comment by Dan Walker on September 14, 2008 at 8:30am

Jordan, I always thought I knew the answer until I had an instructor come in and teach another 2 day class on RIT. It changed my mind. The theory of having a RIT pack is to have certain amount of tools gathered together and having the right people there that knows how to use them. So with that said who will use these tools? We train the entire department, but when the first engine company on scene has the responsibility putting out the fire and the truck company has the responsibility of search and rescue and vent, this leaves the question, who will be the RIT team. We have decided that equipping first due companies with a RIT pack is a great idea, but more importantly the mutual aid companies having the equal equipment since they will truly be the RIT crew. We in turn we be the RIT team to them. Ideally we all train together to know where all of the equipment is and knowing how to use the techniques to get firefighters out alive. Dan

Comment by Jordan Smith on September 12, 2008 at 9:30pm

We have 1 RIT pack on our rescue. We cross man everything. Usually we have 3 man crew on each piece of apparatus. We don't have a RIT pack on the engine but do have extra bottles on our rescue also atleast one extra SCBA on board the engine.
Thanks for the feed back.